DISCLAIMER: HARRY POTTER, characters, names, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. © 2001.
***
"Time to get up! Time to get up! Time to get up!"
Harry hit his alarm clock across the room. He really didn't want to go to work today. Even though working at the Ministry of Magic was fun, there was something missing in his life.
"Good morning, Hedwig," he said to a snowy white owl.
She hooted her good mornings and went back to eating her latest catch. Harry went into the bathroom and took a shower. After he was through he looked in the mirror. He certainly wasn't the boy he used to be. His face had filled out and was careworn. The jet-black hair, though still untidy as ever, was shorter than it had ever been and stayed that way for once. His emerald green pools of eyes were wiser, but that lightning bolt scar was still just as prominent against his tan forehead. He shaved and quickly dressed for work.
With a quick pop, Harry was at work and saying hello to everyone. When he finally got to his office, he started at his work straight away. During his off time as an Auror, Harry filled out mounds of paper work.
"I guess this is what I get for leaving it until morning," he said to himself as he looked at his ever-growing stack of papers.
Just then there was a knock on his door and in walked Hermione Granger, one of Harry's best friends.
"Coffee?" she said as she walked into his office with a mug of hot coffee which he gladly accepted.
"You know, I think you have more work here than you ever did at Hogwarts. It is nice to see that you still leave everything for the last minute," Hermione said with a disapproving eye.
"'Mione, you know I love ya, but if you don't be nice to this overworked man, I am going to have to tickle you," Harry threatened as he got to his feet.
"Oh no you don't!"
"Oh I don't, do I?"
Harry attacked her sides right were she was the most sensitive. Hermione would never tell anyone that she teased him on purpose. She always loved when he touched her.
"Alright, Alright, I give up!"
"That's good to hear, because I am getting tired. So what's up Hermione? You rarely come to see me at work, not that I am complaining," Harry said as he eyed her long shapely legs that were left exposed by her shorts.
"Actually, I came to personally invite you to dinner with Ron and I."
Harry thought for a minute. 'The only reason Hermione would want us both at dinner with her is if she had something very important to tell us, but what could it be?'
"Of course I will. What else do I have to do on a Friday night besides spend it with my two best friends?" Harry said while eying her suspiciously.
"That's great. Then you can meet me at the Glittering Cauldron at seven."
And with that, she walked out the door so Harry got back to work.
The day drew out as long as it could and Harry could feel it. As soon as five o'clock hit, he was out of there. In his nine hours at work, he successfully finished all of his paper work so that there was nothing waiting for him on Monday except . . .more paper work. So with a quick pop, he went home to get ready to go mentally as well as physically.
Harry washed the day out of his hair, gelled it up and walked over to his closet. Throughout his childhood, Harry's wardrobe consisted of Dudley's old, oversized clothes. Now, however, since he was shopping for himself, all of his clothes were black, gray, or dark blue. He chose a black pair of dress pants and a black turtleneck sweater. Then Harry walked to his closet and grabbed his black dress shoes.
"So shiny, you can see up her skirt with them," Harry said, imitating the salesman.
Harry went downstairs and sat on his black leather couch. Despite several attempts on his life, he was pretty well off. He had a nice, two-bedroom home with enough secrets to keep him busy for decades because this was his parents' home before they died. Harry fixed it up a little to accommodate his living.
'Half an hour to go,' Harry thought as he looked at his watch. True, he was growing impatient, but he still needed to mentally prep himself.
'Okay, so Hermione never invites Ron and I to dinner unless she has something to tell us, but the only times before had been bad. One time was when her mom died; another was because Lavender was in a car accident. So who is hurt this time?'
Harry dwelled on his thoughts for a long time. When he looked at the clock again, he realized he was late. So with a quick pop, he was off to find out Hermione's news.
When he got to the Glittering Cauldron, he was not surprised to see that Ron was also late.
"Hey," Ron said, "Any idea on who died?"
"No, but that's not for lack of trying."
They both laughed and walked into the club, looking around for Hermione.
"Hey, look! Its my two very late, very best friends!"
The trio sat and talked about what they had been up to for the last few days. Ron showed them his "gigantic" bruise on his leg from Quidditch that turned out to be the size of a quarter.
"Wow, that must really hurt," Hermione said sarcastically.
"Shut up!" Ron said defensively, but knew it was true.
After they finished dinner and desert, Harry was beginning to grow impatient. They had been in Hermione's presence for an hour and she had said nothing of why she had asked them there.
"So, Hermione, what's the deal? You only ever ask us out if someone is hurt or dead, so who is it?" Harry asked.
"Well, you both remember my boyfriend Bradley?"
"He died?! Oh, Hermione, I am so sorry!" Ron said quickly, but Harry knew that he was ecstatic.
"Well, no, actually, we're engaged."